This invention relates to dispenser packages for button cell batteries, particularly button air cell batteries.
Handling of button cell batteries can be difficult because of their small size. This is particularly true for consumers with limited manual dexterity. Furthermore, it may be desirable for the user to be able to carry spare batteries in a pocket or purse, especially for use in electronic devices such as hearing aids. Small button cell dispenser packages have been used to provide users with a supply of batteries that will protect the batteries, can be conveniently carried and from which batteries can be dispensed one at a time.
An example of a button air cell cell dispenser package is disclosed by DeDino in U.S. Pat. No. 4,953,700. This package has a molded plastic casing with a plurality of battery compartments arranged in a circular path. The plastic casing is rotatably mounted on a display card via a stud or post extending from the plastic casing. The plastic casing can be rotated to position a battery in one of the compartments in alignment with a discharge outlet in the rear panel of the display card so the battery can be removed from the package when the reclosable discharge outlet is opened. A disadvantage of this package is that the display card and plastic casing are somewhat flexible, and the package can be bent such that a gap through which the batteries can fit is created between the display card and plastic casing. This can result in the batteries spilling from the package or pilferage of batteries from the package during display in a retail store. The plastic casing can also rotate freely, and if the discharge outlet is not kept closed after the package has been opened by the user, individual batteries can be inadvertently moved into alignment with the discharge outlet and fall out of the package.
Attempts have been made to prevent loss and theft of the batteries from the dispenser package. One example is found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,631,825 (Garrant et al.), which discloses a product dispenser with a rigid cover enclosing button cell batteries secured to a rigid base with an adhesive layer. The cover has an opening in the side wall and can be rotated with respect to the base to position a battery adjacent to the opening such that the battery can be advanced, using a slidable push element, from the interior of the dispenser, through the opening, to a landing on the exterior of the cover. The push element can also be locked in place to prevent inadvertent rotation of the dispenser and loss of batteries through the opening. The batteries are securely contained within this dispenser, and the adhesive layer and lockable push element retain the batteries except during dispensing, but the dispenser contains more components, assembly is more complicated and the packaging cost is greater than DeDino's package.
Another example of a button air cell battery dispenser package that securely contains the batteries to prevent spillage and pilferage is disclosed by Gaffney et al. in US Patent Publication No. 2003/0155276. As in DeDino's package, this package includes a flexible display card and a plastic cover with a plurality of battery compartments rotatably mounted to the display card via a post extending from the plastic cover. To prevent spillage and pilferage of the batteries between the card and cover, a plastic backing is interposed between the cover and card, with a peripheral lip of the backing overlapping with the peripheral flange of the cover. The cover and backing are sufficiently rigid to prevent spillage and pilferage of the batteries from between the cover and card. The backing is also held in place on the card by a pair of anchors so the backing does not rotate with the cover, and the backing cooperates with the cover to prevent free rotation of the cover and provide indexing of the battery compartments to the discharge outlet in the display card. This package also has more components and assembly is more complicated than DeDino's package.
Yet another example of a button air cell battery dispenser package that prevents spillage and pilferage of batteries from between the display card and the plastic casing/cover is disclosed by Koch et al. in International Publication No. WO 01/877332. This package also includes a flexible display card and a rotatable plastic container (casing or cover). Rather than being secured to the front surface of the card with a stud or post extending from the cover, the plastic cover projects through a front panel of the display card and the peripheral flange of the cover is trapped between the front panels and another panel of the display card, so that sealed edges of the display card panels enclose the casing flange to prevent spillage and pilferage between the display card and the cover. However, indexed rotation of the plastic casing is not provided and inadvertent rotation of the cover is not prevented, so batteries can inadvertently fall through the discharge outlet if the discharge outlet is not kept closed. Furthermore, if the batteries are oriented with the cell sealing tabs against the rear display card panel, the cells can rotate so the tabs do not all extend in the desired directions, creating an undesirable appearance, even if the cavities in the cover in which the batteries are contained are shaped to accommodate the batteries with the tabs extending in the desired directions, because the tabs can move to a small space between the cover and the rear panel.
In U.S. Pat. No. 6,889,840, a blister package, similar to the package disclosed in International Publication No. WO 01/877332, is provided with a means to control rotation of the rotatable member (insert) in which the button cell batteries are disposed. The front panel of the display card (cover) has radial protrusions that protrude into the opening in the cover through which the rotatable insert projects. The protrusions are spaced to roughly correspond to the width of the cell compartments. The protrusions can cooperate with the peripheral portions of the cell compartments to hold a cell compartment adjacent to the opening in the rear panel of the display card (carrier) for removal of a cell from the compartment. Rotational force applied to the insert by the user can overcome friction preventing free rotation of the insert to index another cell compartment adjacent to the opening in the rear panel of the card. However, variability in the dimensions of the insert and the front panel of the card can result in undesired rotation of the insert or require excessive rotational force to index the insert.
Other attempts have been made to provide dispenser packages in which products can be sequentially indexed into position for removal of product. Examples include U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,805,258; 6,364,155 and 4,078,661. All of these attempts have one or more disadvantages, such as relatively expensive component parts, additional component parts and more complicated manufacturing processes compared to conventional blister pack packages
In view of the above, the present invention provides a dispensing package for button cell batteries that can be used to dispense batteries one at a time, that is easy and economical to manufacture, that prevents spillage, pilferage and inadvertent loss of batteries from the package, and that provides a package with an attractive appearance that will appeal to consumers.